Week In Review News & Rumors

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• Raiders edge rusher Aldon Smith was suspended for one year due to his DUI arrest earlier this year.
• The Saints fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, promoting Dennis Allen to take his place.
• The Lions took the first step in restructuring their front office, hiring CEO of Ford Estates Rod Wood as president.
• The NFL is expected to allow compensatory draft picks to be traded.

QBs:

• Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has a torn plantar fascia, meaning Brock Osweiler will start for the foreseeable future.
• The Rams have benched Nick Foles, turning instead to backup Case Keenum.
• With an eye towards the future, the Browns will start Johnny Manziel for the remainder of the season.

Signed:

• Cowboys – Robert Turbin, RB (link)
• Giants – Hakeem Nicks, WR (link)

Waivers:

• Texans – claimed QB Brandon Weeden from the Cowboys (link)

Waived:

• Buccaneers – D.J. Swearinger, S (link)
• Cowboys – Christine Michael, RB (link)

Injuries:

• 49ers – Colin Kaepernick, QB (IR)
• Giants – Victor Cruz, WR (IR)
• Jaguars – Sen’Derrick Marks, DT (IR)
• Jets – Zac Stacy, RB (IR)
• Patriots – Julian Edelman, WR (6-8 weeks)
• Ravens – Justin Forsett, RB (fractured arm), Breshad Perriman, WR (link), and Jeremy Zuttah, C (IR)
• Titans – Justin Hunter, WR (IR) and Jason McCourty, CB (IR)

Suspended:

• Buccaneers – Kwon Alexander, LB (facing four-game ban)
• Washington – Junior Galette, LB (two games)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• Despite rumors to the contrary, former 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis emphasized that he will not attempt to make an NFL comeback.
• Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will miss two-to-six weeks after suffering a lacerated kidney during last week’s game against the Broncos.
• Offensive tackle Will Beatty, who tore a biceps muscle in May and is now undergoing rotator cuff surgery, will not be activated off the PUP list by the Giants.
• In other injury news, Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta won’t play this season as he continues to deal with major hip injuries.

Extended:

• Patriots – Josh Kline, G (through 2017)

Signed:

• 49ers – Travaris Cadet, RB (link)
• Jets – Randy Bullock, K (link)
• Rams – Wes Welker, WR (link)
• Saints – Matt Flynn, QB (link)
• Washington – Brian De La Puente, C (link)

Waivers:

• Colts – claimed QB Charlie Whitehurst from the Titans (link)

Waived:

• Browns – Robert Turbin, RB (link)

Injuries:

• Colts – Henry Anderson, DT (IR)
• Eagles – Jordan Hicks, LB (IR)
• Lions – Rashean Mathis, CB (IR)
• Patriots – Dion Lewis, RB (IR)

Suspended:

• Bears – Tayo Fabuluje, T (link) and Ego Ferguson, DT (four games)
• Broncos – Aqib Talib, CB (one game)
• Rams – Stedman Bailey, WR (four games)
• Joseph Randle, free agent RB (four games)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• The Broncos made waves in advance of the trade deadline, acquiring tight end Vernon Davis from the 49ers, while attempting (and failing) to acquire left tackle Joe Thomas from the Browns.
• After posting a 3-20 record during his time with Tennessee, Ken Whisenhunt was fired as head coach of the Titans. Mike Mularkey was promoted to interim head coach.
• The Lions continued to clean house, firing both general manager Martin Mayhew and president Tom Lewand. Sheldon White was named interim GM.
• The 3-5 Colts made a change to their offensive staff, firing offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and promoting Rob Chudzinski to take his place.

Signed:

• 49ers – Pierre Thomas, RB (link)

Claimed Off Waivers:

• Steelers – claimed WR Jacoby Jones from the Chargers (link)

Waived:

• Cowboys – Joseph Randle, RB (link)
• Titans – Terrance West, RB (link)

Injuries:

• 49ers – Reggie Bush, RB (IR) and Mike Davis, RB (IR-DTR)
• Bills – Percy Harvin, WR (IR)
• Chargers – Keenan Allen, WR (IR)
• Giants – Jon Beason, LB (IR) and Owa Odighizuwa, DE (IR-DTR)
• Lions – DeAndre Levy, LB (IR)
• Patriots – Ryan Wendell, OL (IR)
• Ravens – Steve Smith, WR (IR)
• Steelers – Le’Veon Bell, RB (IR)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• The Giants and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul — injured in a July 4 incident — agreed to new contract, through which JPP can earn a maximum of about $8.7MM. Details of the deal can be found here.
• The Lions made several changes to their offensive coaching staff, most notably firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and promoting quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter to take his place.
• Texans running back Arian Foster suffered a torn Achilles, meaning he will miss the remainder of the season.
• The Chiefs plan to retain both head coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey for the 2016 season.
• The NFL’s trade deadline is just two days away, and rumors have surfaced the players like Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, and Joe Staley could be on the move. Check out the latest trade gossip here, here, and here.

Signed:

• Chargers – Joe Mays, LB (link)
• Saints – Jo-Lonn Dunbar, LB (link)
• Seahawks – Bryce Brown, RB (link)
• Texans – T.J. Yates, QB (link)

Released:

• Texans – Ryan Mallett, QB (link)

Injuries:

• Buccaneers – Louis Murphy, WR (IR)
• Dolphins – Cameron Wake, DE (IR)
• Rams – Alec Ogletree, LB (IR-DTR)

Suspended:

• Ravens – Matt Elam, S (one game)

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past seven days:

• Luke Adams delved into the cap outlook for the 2016 Dolphins, identifying players like Brent Grimes and Cameron Wake as extension candidates, while noting the Ndamukong Suh‘s contract is “begging for a restructure.”
• Now that we’re nearly at the midpoint of the season, injured players — including those on injured reserve/designated to return, the physically unable to perform list, and the non-football injury list — are eligible to begin practicing and potentially return to game action. Luke provided a roundup of all such players, with big names such as Will Beatty, Dennis Pitta, and Leodis McKelvin among them.
• In our Community Tailgate series, we post topics for discussion and encourage readers to chime in with their thoughts in the comments section. This week, Luke asked: which of the undefeated clubs — the Broncos, Bengals, Patriots, Panthers, and Packers — has the strongest outlook going forward?

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is drawing trade interest around the league.
• Gus Bradley is reportedly safe as the Jaguars‘ head coach through the 2016 season.
• The Jaguars and the NFL extended its relationship with London’s Wembley Stadium through the 2020 season.

Signed:

• Bills – Jordan Mills, T (link)
• Saints – Kai Forbath, K (link)

Released:

• Bears – Jeremiah Ratliff, DT (link)

Injuries:

• 49ers – Antoine Bethea, S (IR)
• Lions – Zach Zenner, RB (IR)
• Steelers – Kelvin Beachum, T (IR)

Suspended:

• Jets – Quincy Enuwa, WR (link)

Retired:

• Jermichael Finley, TE (link)
• Brandon Lloyd, WR (link)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL during last week’s game against the Bears.
• The Ravens signed All Pro guard Marshal Yanda to a long-term extension, locking him up through the 2019 season.

Signed:

• Cardinals – Dwight Freeney, LB (link)
• Colts – Ahmad Bradshaw, RB (link)
• Ravens – Shareece Wright, CB (link)

Injuries:

• Bills – Aaron Williams, S (IR-DTR)
• Patriots – Tarell Brown, CB (IR) and Nate Solder, T (IR)
• Raiders – Justin Tuck, DE (IR)
• Rams – Rodger Saffold, G (IR)
• Ravens – Will Davis, CB (IR) and Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB (IR)
• Steelers – Maurkice Pouncey, C (likely to miss season)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Headlines:

• After a disappointing 1-3 start, the Dolphins fired head coach Joe Philbin, promoting tight ends coach Dan Campbell to interim head coach. Miami also fired defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, and promoted defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo to DC. Additionally, the Dolphins made several changes to their offensive coaching staff.
• Three teams have inquired on Falcons receiver Roddy White, who has expressed his discontent with his role in Atlanta’s offense.
• Multiple teams are expected to pursue Saints head coach Sean Payton during the offseason (Payton is signed through the 2017 season, however).
• The NFL extended the international series of games through the 2025 season.

Extended:

• Patriots – Dion Lewis, RB (through 2017)

Trade:

• 49ers – acquired LB Gerald Hodges from the Vikings in exchange for C Nick Easton and and a 2015 sixth-round pick.

Signed/Re-Signed:

• Bears – Sherrod Martin, DB (link)
• Bills – Billy Cundiff, K (link), Boom Herron, RB (link), and Denarius Moore, WR (link)
• Chargers – Donald Brown, RB (link)
• Lions – Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, DT (link)

Released:

• 49ers – Shareece Wright, CB (link)
• Broncos – James Casey, TE (link)
• Patriots – Bradley Fletcher, CB (link)
• Raiders – Taylor Mays, S (link)
• Saints – Kenny Phillips, S (link)

Injuries:

• Bears – Will Montgomery, C (IR)
• Cowboys – Lance Dunbar, RB (IR)
• Falcons – Devin Hester, WR (IR-DTR)
• Jaguars – Brandon Linder, G (link)
• Lions – Tyrunn Walker, DT (IR)
• Seahawks – Tharold Simon, CB (IR)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will miss four-to-six-weeks after spraining his MCL.
• The Bills will be without RB LeSean McCoy, who will miss about a month with a hamstring injury.
• The Panthers acquired DE Jared Allen from the Bears in exchange for a conditional 2016 sixth-round pick.
• DE Jason Pierre-Paul will report to the Giants within two weeks.

Trades:

• Patriots – acquired LB Jon Bostic from the Bears in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick.
• Ravens – acquired WR Chris Givens from the Rams in exchange for a 2018 seventh-round pick.
• Saints – acquired TE Michael Hoomanawanui from the Patriots in exchange for DE Akiem Hicks.

Injuries:

• Chargers – Johnnie Troutman, G (IR)
• Chiefs – Phillip Gaines, CB (IR)
• Eagles – Andrew Gardner, G (IR)
• Packers – Andrew Quarless, TE (IR-DTR)
• Panthers – Charles Johnson, DE (IR-DTR)
• Washington – Shawn Lauvao, G (IR)

Extended:

• Browns – Austin Davis, QB (through 2017)

Signed:

• Broncos – Tyler Polumbus, T (link)
• Colts – Josh Johnson, QB (link)
• Eagles – Caleb Sturgis, K (link)
• Steelers – Chris Boswell, K (link)
• Texans – Nick Novak, K (link)
• Washington – Mason Foster, LB (link)

Released/Waived:

• Bears – Brock Vereen, S (link)
• Chargers – Donald Brown, RB (link)
• Rams – Isaiah Pead, RB (link)
• Steelers – Josh Scobee, K (link)

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

• Safety Kam Chancellor ended his holdout after two weeks and returned to the Seahawks.
• The Cowboys placed Tony Romo on injured reserve/designated to return after he fractured his clavicle.

Trades:

• Cowboys – acquired QB Matt Cassel and a 2017 seventh-round pick from the Bills in exchange for a 2017 fifth-round pick.
• Ravens – acquired CB Will Davis from the Dolphins for a 2016 seventh-round pick.

Extended:

• Bengals – Andrew Whitworth, T: through 2016.
• Patriots – Jonathan Freeny, LB: through 2016.

Waivers:

• Raiders – claimed CB David Amerson from Washington (link)

Signed:

• Bears – Mitch Unrein, DL (link)
• Eagles – Thaddeus Lewis, QB
• Giants – Kenrick Ellis, DT (link)

Other:

• Jaguars placed WR Rashad Greene on IR-DTR (link)
• Chuck Pagano doubts he’ll return to Indianapolis in 2016 (link)
• Cowboys restructure Jason Witten‘s contract (link)